Highway Code rule could see £100 fine for common motorway action
Motorists face a potential £100 fine for a manoeuvre that's become increasingly common on Britain's motorways.
The Highway Code explicitly warns against undertaking slower vehicles on the motorway. Despite its prevalence amongst drivers, being caught could land you with a substantial fine. While undertaking isn't technically illegal, executing it carelessly could result in three penalty points and a £100 fine for either careless driving or driving without due care and attention. Certain police forces may offer a driver education course instead.
Rule 268 of The Highway Code specifies: "In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to you right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake."
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Although no specific legislation outlaws undertaking, it can readily become a hazardous manoeuvre, which would then breach the law, reports the Liverpool Echo. Should a vehicle be travelling in the middle lane while the lane to its left remains clear, the driver risks receiving a fixed penalty from police, and depending on circumstances, any motorist undertaking that vehicle on the left could equally face sanctions.
Undertaking refers to overtaking via the inside lane, essentially, passing a slower vehicle using the lane closest to the kerb. In Britain, this means using a lane to the left of the car you're going past.
This typically occurs on roads featuring multiple lanes travelling in the same direction, such as motorways. During congested conditions where all traffic is crawling along at comparable speeds, you're permitted to undertake in order to maintain pace with your lane, even if this results in you passing vehicles in the lane to your right.
That said, you mustn't dart between lanes trying to gain an advantage. The Highway Code firmly recommends steering clear of overtaking altogether, and you could land yourself in hot water if you attempt to cut across three lanes.
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